Cheapest New 2 Keg Keezer

[heyjaffy]

Hi, I dont think they will. If you already have the pinlocks you should go with the GE 7 cf. Maybe Heyjaffy can chime in, but the ball lock kegs in my freezer almost touch each other so I very much doubt the 2 pinlocks are going to fit.

Kevin

With my 2 ball-locks (firestone kegs) in opposite corners of the deep part of the freezer, there's about a 1.125 inch gap between the two of them. So if in general, pinlocks are less than half an inch larger in diameter than most ball-locks, then you're good.

If you build a tall enough collar, probably 8-inch tall, you can fit 3 and probably 4 of any type of keg (pending how big and where you want to put your co2)

 

[brewit2it]

With my 2 ball-locks (firestone kegs) in opposite corners of the deep part of the freezer, there's about a 1.125 inch gap between the two of them. So if in general, pinlocks are less than half an inch larger in diameter than most ball-locks, then you're good.

If you build a tall enough collar, probably 8-inch tall, you can fit 3 and probably 4 of any type of keg (pending how big and where you want to put your co2)

Thanks HJ, I'm not at home to measure. Pin locks are about an inch larger I believe. That's why I put the warning at the top that this build is only for ball locks. You could probably fit one of each with them both banging on the sides of the freezer but that is going to be a hassel with them barely fitting and with different hardware for each. If you want to stick with the pinlocks just get the 7 cf. It is only like 30-40 dollars more and will hold more Kegs.

 

[mervmurry]

I am leaning toward the 7 cu ft so I have more versatility. I want to be able to use the keezer for lagering too. With a 7, I can do two kegs (or more) and also a carboy for lagering. I couldn't do that with the 5. Thanks for all your help.

 

[brewit2it]

I am leaning toward the 7 cu ft so I have more versatility. I want to be able to use the keezer for lagering too. With a 7, I can do two kegs (or more) and also a carboy for lagering. I couldn't do that with the 5. Thanks for all your help.

Didn't you see my pic on the first page with 2 kegs, a carboy and the CO2 tank? You can fit all of that in the 5 cf but you would be able to fit more, probably 4 ball locks or 3 pin locks in the 7 cf on the bottom then the carboy and CO2 on the hump. See this pic again of my 5 cf:

 

[Cacaman]

Hey brewit2it, first of all thanks for the awesome build. I am very much considering doing this if i cant find a way to install my tower this freezer. Quick question, and please excuse my ignorance, but at what temp do you keep your (soon to be) beer at? Because a while back, i wanted to lager AND serve beer at the same time with the same freezer, but thought it wasn't going to be a possibility since I've always believed they require different temps. Thanks in advance!
-Alex

 

[muse435]

Mine looks almost identical

 

[astropunk]

subscribing!

 

[brewit2it]

Hey brewit2it, first of all thanks for the awesome build. I am very much considering doing this if i cant find a way to install my tower this freezer. Quick question, and please excuse my ignorance, but at what temp do you keep your (soon to be) beer at? Because a while back, i wanted to lager AND serve beer at the same time with the same freezer, but thought it wasn't going to be a possibility since I've always believed they require different temps. Thanks in advance!
-Alex

Hi Alex, you should be able to install your tower with this freezer with no problem.

As far as temp, I have it set at 40 which is pretty much perfect for servng and lagering. But dont confuse lagering with fermenting with lager yeast. For that you need high 40's-low 50's so usually need a seperate fermentation chamber or will have to enjoy your beer pretty warm.

 

[Cacaman]

Lol, I liked this build so much i decided to just buy everything this morning, plus Austin Homebrew Store had their SS Perlick faucets for $22 . I'll make a thread once i start on the project. Thanks again!

 

[brewit2it]

Lol, I liked this build so much i decided to just buy everything this morning, plus Austin Homebrew Store had their SS Perlick faucets for $22 . I'll make a thread once i start on the project. Thanks again!

Cool, can't wait to see it.

I have some updated pics with my taps installed. Will try to post some up tonight. I also can show how I attached the 2 keg gas manifold with the 2 sided tape that matches the red gas lines from KegConnections

 

[Cacaman]

Cool, can't wait to see it.

I have some updated pics with my taps installed. Will try to post some up tonight. I also can show how I attached the 2 keg gas manifold with the 2 sided tape that matches the red gas lines from KegConnections

That would be helpful, thanks!

 

[brewit2it]

Finally getting around to updating with a few more pics.

Pic of installed gas manifold. Again, motivation was to secure it inside while not damaging the Freezer at all. I decided to use the 2 sided tape leaving the red backing on so it matches the CO2 lines:

ETC mounted on wall behind the Keezer:

Finished Keezer with natural wood collar and EBay tap handles. The tap on the left will always hold my lighter beer and the one on right the darker. I have my Kolsch on the left and "Torpedo Clone" (not nearly hoppy enough to resemble Torpedo but delicious none the less) on the right. You will notice I didn't put the shanks as far left as heyjaffy. I just centered them on the main compartment (midpoint between the two taps is exactly midpoint from left inside compartment wall and compressor hump wall). It's just personal preference and doesn't really make any difference. I'm toying with the idea of putting a 3rd tap for a 2.5 or 3 gallon keg on the hump because I like the idea of making some smaller batches and may not want to wait as long as it will take me to go through 5 gallons to get the next batch in the keezer.

 

[heyjaffy]

Finally getting around to updating with a few more pics.

...

Finished Keezer with natural wood collar and EBay tap handles. The tap on the left will always hold my lighter beer and the one on right the darker. I have my Kolsch on the left and "Torpedo Clone" (not nearly hoppy enough to resemble Torpedo but delicious none the less) on the right. You will notice I didn't put the shanks as far left as heyjaffy. I just centered them on the main compartment (midpoint between the two taps is exactly midpoint from left inside compartment wall and compressor hump wall). It's just personal preference and doesn't really make any difference. I'm toying with the idea of putting a 3rd tap for a 2.5 or 3 gallon keg on the hump because I like the idea of making some smaller batches and may not want to wait as long as it will take me to go through 5 gallons to get the next batch in the keezer.

Looks nice. I put my taps so far to the left that I ended up having to cut down the corner bracket with a dremel as the tap was too close to the corner.

As you were thinking it, I was doing it: bought a 3 gallon keg off of ebay this week and ordered an extra regulator, hoses, shank, and faucet from kegconnection to add the third tap. This stopped being "the cheapest" keezer for me pretty quick, but it's still pretty reasonable considering the quality of the parts. I ordered my original kegconnection build with dual regulator because it seemed like a good idea to be able to set the kegs at different pressures, and in practice, has been good for me, as I have a wheat on one tap that needs high PSI (about 20) and an ESB on the other tap that needs low PSI (5 - 8), so I decided to get a third regulator for the third keg to allow even more adjustability.

 

[brewit2it]

Looks nice. I put my taps so far to the left that I ended up having to cut down the corner bracket with a dremel as the tap was too close to the corner.

As you were thinking it, I was doing it: bought a 3 gallon keg off of ebay this week and ordered an extra regulator, hoses, shank, and faucet from kegconnection to add the third tap. This stopped being "the cheapest" keezer for me pretty quick, but it's still pretty reasonable considering the quality of the parts. I ordered my original kegconnection build with dual regulator because it seemed like a good idea to be able to set the kegs at different pressures, and in practice, has been good for me, as I have a wheat on one tap that needs high PSI (about 20) and an ESB on the other tap that needs low PSI (5 - 8), so I decided to get a third regulator for the third keg to allow even more adjustability.

Which ebayer did you buy the small keg from? I read about folks getting one in the $75.00 shipped range but I haven't been able to find anything for that price.

Yeah, it would be nice to have the ability to have different degrees of carbonation in different beers. If I was doing it again I would upgrade to the dual regulator setup for the flexibility, but the reality is I don't see myself making wheat beer. I enjoy one once in awhile but not enough to drink an entire batch of it. I have my system at 10 PSI and it is working fine for the Kolsch and Pale Ale. I'm not real concerned with matching style as much as carbing the way I like and don't think I would change from what I'm getting with 10 PSI for pretty much anything I will brew.

 

[heyjaffy]

Which ebayer did you buy the small keg from? I read about folks getting one in the $75.00 shipped range but I haven't been able to find anything for that price.

Yeah, it would be nice to have the ability to have different degrees of carbonation in different beers. If I was doing it again I would upgrade to the dual regulator setup for the flexibility, but the reality is I don't see myself making wheat beer. I enjoy one once in awhile but not enough to drink an entire batch of it. I have my system at 10 PSI and it is working fine for the Kolsch and Pale Ale. I'm not real concerned with matching style as much as carbing the way I like and don't think I would change from what I'm getting with 10 PSI for pretty much anything I will brew.

Seller was "crustylives" - I just searched for 3 gallon keg and found this seller listing the keg for $80 plus $10 shipping or "make an offer" - I offered $75 shipped and the seller accepted. Looks the he's sold a few in that price range.

 

[muse435]

Here's a pic of mine, it is the same basic setup w/ the same etc, actual taps to be added.

 

[brewit2it]

Here's a pic of mine, it is the same basic setup w/ the same etc, actual taps to be added.

Cool!! I'm trying to figure out what's going on with the keg in front of the keezer. It has it's own gauge and almost looks like it is connected to a line going through the front of the freezer wall, but that must be an optical illusion from the picture.

 

[muse435]

Cool!! I'm trying to figure out what's going on with the keg in front of the keezer. It has it's own gauge and almost looks like it is connected to a line going through the front of the freezer wall, but that must be an optical illusion from the picture.

It is my keg naturally carbing while using a spunding valve. It is not connected to the keezer though.

 

[brewit2it]

It is my keg naturally carbing while using a spunding valve. It is not connected to the keezer though.

Thats pretty neat. So you prime in the keg and then can follow the rise in carbonation? About how high does the pressure get when the beer is fully carbed?

 

[muse435]

Thats pretty neat. So you prime in the keg and then can follow the rise in carbonation? About how high does the pressure get when the beer is fully carbed?

That was my first attempt and I messed it up, here is a great source about it though

 

[Cacaman]

Your drip tray is epic. +1 for originality.

 

[CidahMastah]

Nice build!

I did a very similar set up a while back (watch bobby's video) but I used a 2x10 for the collar so I could fit 4 kegs in it. I used silicone for the bottom seal and mitre cuts with braces on the collar then hit it with poly. Because I sanded and leveled and hit with poly, the top made a perfect seal so no additional insulation foam was needed for a proper seal.

I screwed the hinges directly into the collar as well. I set up the manifolds so I could have 2-3 kegs on a quick charge and 2-3 on regular maintenance pressure. I did a bevel cut around the rim so my manifolds fit in snugly. I also used that window putty around the gas and liquid lines for insulation and ease of removal if/when I have to replace lines.

With 4 kegs it is crowded, but it was the only free freezer i have.

Beer lines running up to a two tap tower upstairs.

 

[Brewfat]

Nice build!

I did a very similar set up a while back (watch bobby's video) but I used a 2x10 for the collar so I could fit 4 kegs in it. I used silicone for the bottom seal and mitre cuts with braces on the collar then hit it with poly. Because I sanded and leveled and hit with poly, the top made a perfect seal so no additional insulation foam was needed for a proper seal.

I screwed the hinges directly into the collar as well. I set up the manifolds so I could have 2-3 kegs on a quick charge and 2-3 on regular maintenance pressure. I did a bevel cut around the rim so my manifolds fit in snugly. I also used that window putty around the gas and liquid lines for insulation and ease of removal if/when I have to replace lines.

With 4 kegs it is crowded, but it was the only free freezer i have.

Beer lines running up to a two tap tower upstairs.

How long of a run do your beer lines have? Do you just have them wrapped, no other chilling? How's it working out for you? I'm thinking of doing something similar.

 

[CidahMastah]

How long of a run do your beer lines have? Do you just have them wrapped, no other chilling? How's it working out for you? I'm thinking of doing something similar.

I have about a 10 foot total rise, but 15 feet of (EDIT) 1/4'' beer tubing. I set the regulator at 11.5-13.5 depending on the brew and leave it like that.

I wrapped the two beer tubing lines in 3-4 (can't recall) of the cheap foam pipe insulation at HD. At the top part (which would potentially get sunlight) I wrapped it in reflective aluminum furnace tape so the dark foam wouldn't absorb as much heat.

The system works great with the following caveats.

1. Never had a foam issue with ciders.
2. If I over carb the beer, it foams at the spout (it would in any system). If I don't overcarb there aren't any problems.
3. If i don't drink a beer for a week, I usually purge the first 3-4oz of beer to clear the lines (figure the beer may be a little stagnant). I sometimes pour that beer into a frozen mug and drink it.
4. If I pour say 5-6 beers right in a row, sometimes I get some extra foam (1.5-2inches) on the last couple beers. I believe the reason for this is my keezer is colder on the bottom and warmer on the top (no circulating fan). So as you drain the keg, the slightly warmer beer comes out for dispensing (we are talking beer that is a few degrees warmer, but still cold beer). This difference in temperature change of even a few degrees causes the CO2 to come out of solution and thus, the extra foaming (if you let the brew sit a minute, the foam turns back into beer! ).

Am I happy with it? Definitely. It was extremely inexpensive to buy the foam and install vs. the coolant for the lines, etc. For the minor inconvenience of losing a couple ounces of beer here and there I am ok with that for now. My brews cost me somewhere around .25 cents for 12oz of the big grain bill brews. That makes 3oz about .08 cents, and that is for something that has a huge grain bill. I can toss out .08 cents here and there and still revel in the coolness of a tap at my bar (see profile pictures for the bar pics).



Things I would change?

1. Might put a circulating fan in there (but there isn't much room) - by circulating fan I mean a circulating fan inside my keezer to circulate to cold air on the bottom to the top of the keezer.

I posted some details on temps from pours etc on a past thread but I can't find the darn thing...
Well anyway, it was pouring out at like 42-45F the way I set it, it was perfect temp for a dispense. I can't recall the lower keg temp though...

 

[CidahMastah]

Found it - check this out:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/cheapest-new-2-keg-keezer-224848/index6.html
Read from there on - at the end I posted more info about the final results.

You should check out bobby's you tube video when you plan to build as well. I did several things differently, but it is a great guide to get you thinking about what things look like under the hood.



Highlights:

a. Vertical rise is about 9-10 feet from center of keg to top of tower.
b. I was dispensing the porter at 11psi and the graf at 12.5ish psi - at the time I didn't know I accidentally over carbed, by shaking the keg.
c. Good flow rate and I filled a pint glass which I temped at 44F
d. 1 1/4-2 inches of closed cell foam around the beer lines for insulation (say diameter of 4-5inches)

After 24 hour wait:
At first pour after a 24 hour delay in use (now that I have figured out the carbing issue) I get:
a. about .5 inches (i.e. perfect).
b. If I go through like 5 glasses right after another, they foam slightly more - 1-1.5 inches of foam (this is an issue with the keezer not uniformly cooling ALL of the beer in it; coldest on bottom, slightly warmer on top)

So basically, since then I worked out the carbing kinks (I was rushing it and overcarbed… it was my second keg to carb ever so sue me ha!

If you have any questions let me know.

 

[brewit2it]

Found it - check this out:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/cheapest-new-2-keg-keezer-224848/index6.html
Read from there on - at the end I posted more info about the final results.

You should check out bobby's you tube video when you plan to build as well. I did several things differently, but it is a great guide to get you thinking about what things look like under the hood.



Highlights:

a. Vertical rise is about 9-10 feet from center of keg to top of tower.
b. I was dispensing the porter at 11psi and the graf at 12.5ish psi - at the time I didn't know I accidentally over carbed, by shaking the keg.
c. Good flow rate and I filled a pint glass which I temped at 44F
d. 1 1/4-2 inches of closed cell foam around the beer lines for insulation (say diameter of 4-5inches)

After 24 hour wait:
At first pour after a 24 hour delay in use (now that I have figured out the carbing issue) I get:
a. about .5 inches (i.e. perfect).
b. If I go through like 5 glasses right after another, they foam slightly more - 1-1.5 inches of foam (this is an issue with the keezer not uniformly cooling ALL of the beer in it; coldest on bottom, slightly warmer on top)

So basically, since then I worked out the carbing kinks (I was rushing it and overcarbed… it was my second keg to carb ever so sue me ha!

If you have any questions let me know.

That's an awesome setup man. Great idea about runnng the lines up to your taps. It's nothing like mine really, way more advanced and true cabinet level construction of the collar. Mine is for others like me with no wood working skills or tools who might be intimidated by the idea of trying some of the awesome Keezer DIY projects some of you guys take on.

Mine is literally one trip to HD and a couple hours to complete. One benefit of my simple build is the temp is consistent from top to bottom, probably because the collar is only 2.5 inches tall so the total volume is not changed significantly. You can fit 3 kegs in mine with a 3 gallon keg on the hump. You could add a 4th if you moved the CO2 out. Heyjaffy already added a 3rd keg and 3rd tap in his, which is pretty much the same design as mine.

 

[Brewfat]

I have about a 10 foot total rise, but 15 feet of (EDIT) 1/4'' beer tubing. I set the regulator at 11.5-13.5 depending on the brew and leave it like that.

I wrapped the two beer tubing lines in 3-4 (can't recall) of the cheap foam pipe insulation at HD. At the top part (which would potentially get sunlight) I wrapped it in reflective aluminum furnace tape so the dark foam wouldn't absorb as much heat.

The system works great with the following caveats.

1. Never had a foam issue with ciders.
2. If I over carb the beer, it foams at the spout (it would in any system). If I don't overcarb there aren't any problems.
3. If i don't drink a beer for a week, I usually purge the first 3-4oz of beer to clear the lines (figure the beer may be a little stagnant). I sometimes pour that beer into a frozen mug and drink it.
4. If I pour say 5-6 beers right in a row, sometimes I get some extra foam (1.5-2inches) on the last couple beers. I believe the reason for this is my keezer is colder on the bottom and warmer on the top (no circulating fan). So as you drain the keg, the slightly warmer beer comes out for dispensing (we are talking beer that is a few degrees warmer, but still cold beer). This difference in temperature change of even a few degrees causes the CO2 to come out of solution and thus, the extra foaming (if you let the brew sit a minute, the foam turns back into beer! ).

Am I happy with it? Definitely. It was extremely inexpensive to buy the foam and install vs. the coolant for the lines, etc. For the minor inconvenience of losing a couple ounces of beer here and there I am ok with that for now. My brews cost me somewhere around .25 cents for 12oz of the big grain bill brews. That makes 3oz about .08 cents, and that is for something that has a huge grain bill. I can toss out .08 cents here and there and still revel in the coolness of a tap at my bar (see profile pictures for the bar pics).

Things I would change?

1. Might put a circulating fan in there (but there isn't much room) - by circulating fan I mean a circulating fan inside my keezer to circulate to cold air on the bottom to the top of the keezer.

I posted some details on temps from pours etc on a past thread but I can't find the darn thing...
Well anyway, it was pouring out at like 42-45F the way I set it, it was perfect temp for a dispense. I can't recall the lower keg temp though...

Good info, thanks. The pouring off of what's in the lines is my biggest concern. I can go days without a beer. Easy problem to solve I guess.

 

[heyjaffy]

Nice build!

I did a very similar set up a while back (watch bobby's video) but I used a 2x10 for the collar so I could fit 4 kegs in it. I used silicone for the bottom seal and mitre cuts with braces on the collar then hit it with poly. Because I sanded and leveled and hit with poly, the top made a perfect seal so no additional insulation foam was needed for a proper seal.

I screwed the hinges directly into the collar as well. I set up the manifolds so I could have 2-3 kegs on a quick charge and 2-3 on regular maintenance pressure. I did a bevel cut around the rim so my manifolds fit in snugly. I also used that window putty around the gas and liquid lines for insulation and ease of removal if/when I have to replace lines.

With 4 kegs it is crowded, but it was the only free freezer i have.

Beer lines running up to a two tap tower upstairs.

Great looking build! Is there no hump in your freezer? All of the kegs appear to be sitting at the same height.

 

[CidahMastah]

That's an awesome setup man. Great idea about runnng the lines up to your taps. It's nothing like mine really, way more advanced and true cabinet level construction of the collar. Mine is for others like me with no wood working skills or tools who might be intimidated by the idea of trying some of the awesome Keezer DIY projects some of you guys take on.

Mine is literally one trip to HD and a couple hours to complete. One benefit of my simple build is the temp is consistent from top to bottom, probably because the collar is only 2.5 inches tall so the total volume is not changed significantly. You can fit 3 kegs in mine with a 3 gallon keg on the hump. You could add a 4th if you moved the CO2 out. Heyjaffy already added a 3rd keg and 3rd tap in his, which is pretty much the same design as mine.

Thanks!

This build isn't that hard if you have a mitre saw - but it takes a little more patience and wood know how. However - what you built works... period, no shame at all in your project!

Trust me I have seen some on here that shame mine to pieces ha! However time and money and desire to brew and drink beer instead of build a shrine made me work a bit faster and whip this up

I do agree that the collar height is the issue that leads to slight temp difference from top to bottom of the keg. There are ways to fix it (I think), but honestly, it affects my 5% use scenario. Who knows, maybe I will get fancy and fix it one day.

 

[CidahMastah]

Good info, thanks. The pouring off of what's in the lines is my biggest concern. I can go days without a beer. Easy problem to solve I guess.

I usually have a beer a day after work,... ok sometimes 2 ha! you would lose about 3-4 oz a week if you have a beer a week - that is a limitation of this set up. Or you could pour it into a frosted glass and go that route. The beer tastes fine, no O2 in it, it is just room temp at that point.

Something to consider is, if you go glycol, you kill this issue of 3-4oz pour off. However:
1. you have a pump running constantly
2. you have to buy a pump
3. you have to buy glycol
4. you need to install the glycol tubing which is about $12-15 a foot if I remember right.

So for me the cost of the 3-4oz, was cheaper than the electricity consumed by the pump and the glycol install. One day I might step it up, but for now I accept the limitation.